So Tough to Tame

by Victoria Dahl

He pulled back with a frown. “Of course.”

  “It’s just that...I saw you talking to your ex last night. Nicole?”

  His arm stiffened under her hand. “Right. That was nothing. It was just...you know.”

  “It looked serious last night. And it’s okay if it was. You just can’t have us at the same time, all right?”

  “Sure,” he said, sounding a little distant. “Of course.”

  Shit, she shouldn’t have brought it up. His arm was stiff against her as they walked toward the cages. “Hey, I’m not trying to get possessive. I swear.”

  “Yeah. I get that.” But he was still uncharacteristically quiet as he stopped at the coin machine and fed bills into it.

  He probably had to deal with this shit all the time. Being spectacular in bed and sweet outside it. That kind of behavior could make a girl think she was special.

  “Hey.” She nudged his arm. “Did you ever hang out here? It brings back memories. I’d come here with my friends from track and hope some older guy would notice me and ask me out. Someone with facial hair, even.” She reached up to pet his beard. “Now look. All my fantasies coming true. I only had to wait a dozen years.”

  He relaxed and nudged her back. “Silly girl. If you’d just told me you wanted to get a little dirty, I’d have helped. As a favor to a friend. You know, you tutor me, I tutor you.”

  “Oh, yeah? God. Teenage boys are such an untapped source of generosity.”

  “It’s true.”

  “Especially in the ‘I’ll let you put your mouth around my penis’ area of community service.”

  Walker nearly collapsed with laughter, putting one hand on the wall to support himself as he stumbled to a stop. “Oh, Jesus, Charlie,” he choked out past his laughter. “I totally would’ve let you do that.”

  “Yeah, I know. You were probably citizen of the year, even without me.”

  He shook his head, still trying to choke back the laughter that echoed against the cement wall. “In my dreams. But I’m still willing to give it a go if you feel like it’d be a valuable experience.”

  “As a matter of fact, I do, so I’m glad you’re open to it.”

  That stopped his laughter. He leaned against the wall, his eyes on her as a smile played over his mouth. “God, you turn me on.”

  She tried not to preen. After all, she’d never met a man who didn’t love a blow job. It was nothing to feel proud about. But, damn, this man was hot, and if he wanted her on her knees for him, she was going to treasure every bit of the experience.

  “Come on, before we get caught making out and everyone at school finds out.”

  He tipped his head. “That looks like an empty birthday party room over there.”

  For a moment, she was tempted. Just one moment. But that moment would’ve turned into a dirty, sweaty, frantic encounter if she hadn’t gotten off so thoroughly just an hour before. Thank God for orgasm-induced dignity.

  “Walker,” she said in a tone that pretended exasperation.

  “Hey, you know how we older guys are.”

  She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the cages. “Time to get your butt kicked.”

  She missed the first swing, of course. Walker was too kind to laugh, but Charlie still felt her competitive beast kick in. She set her jaw and took an even harder swing at the next ball. The satisfying crack sang through the bat and set her bones vibrating.

  “Woman, that was a home run!” he shouted.

  “There’s more where that came from.”

  When he responded, “That’s what he said,” Charlie choked on a laugh and missed the next ball.

  “Oh, can’t take the heat!” Walker called from behind the chain-link caging.

  She decided right then and there that she couldn’t lose. Charlie hit the next eight pitches in a row and only missed the last two. By the time she stepped out of the cage, her arms ached, but she was grinning from ear to ear.

  Walker smiled right back at her. “Do you have any idea how hot you look doing that?”

  “I hope that will be some comfort to you when you lose,” she countered.

  “No, but it’s going to add to the pleasure of winning.”

  He missed his first swing, too. Charlie wasn’t as gracious and laughed out loud. He missed his second pitch because he was too busy pointing at her and telling her to behave. After that, he only missed twice more. They were tied. This was even more fun than she’d expected.

  Charlie ignored her aching shoulders and took the bat from his hands as he held the gate open for her. “Again?” he asked.

  “Oh, yes. Again.”

  His hot gaze let her know he wasn’t thinking about the batting cage. Good. Neither was she. She was thinking that later he’d be her prize or she’d be his. And they’d both win no matter what.

  Her adrenaline was pumping as she took a stance and raised the bat. The machine ground loudly away ahead of her. The first ball flew. She narrowed her eyes and slammed it back the way it had come.

  “Goddamn, you’re sexy, Charlie.”

  She spread her legs a little farther and wiggled her hips. Walker groaned. She hit the next pitch. And the next. Her heart beat hard with lust and awareness and competition. She wanted to beat him at this game and she wanted to be pushed to her knees and taken hard from behind. Wanted triumph and submission all at the same time. An altogether delicious contradiction.

  She only missed three pitches.

  Walker missed four.

  She bit her lip as he came out of the cage, and tried her best not to laugh as he exchanged the helmet for his cowboy hat. Walker threw her a serious glance. She pressed her lips tight together. It didn’t help. Before she knew it she was grinning so hard her cheeks hurt.

  Walker reached for her and tugged her close. “You got something to say, Charlie?”

  She shrugged and pretended to be unaffected by the press of his hot body against hers. “You’re pretty quick on your feet for a big man. But not quick enough.”

  “Yeah.” He spread his hands over her shoulders. His thumbs traced along her collarbone. “But that’s not what you’re looking for, is it? Speed?”

  Her nipples tightened at that faint slide of his skin against hers. “No.”

  “Especially not for your victory round.”

  “Oh, I get a victory round?” she asked.

  “Don’t you want to celebrate your dominance?”

  Her instinct was to say no. Definitely not. She’d gotten her victory and now she wanted to be used. But then she thought of him lying beneath her. Thought of riding him. Using his cock just the way she wanted for as long as she wanted. With what they’d already done today, he could last a very long time....

  Yes. She definitely wanted to lord it over him. Charlie pressed her hands to his wide chest, sneaking her fingers beneath the edges of his coat. His body heat was trapped here. “You’re a gracious loser.”

  “You have no idea how gracious.”

  “Oh. Maybe we should skip mini golf so we can get dinner out of the way.”

  He smiled and ducked his head closer. His beard brushed her cheek and she fought off the urge to snuggle into him with a needy groan. God, he smelled so good. “Come on. Let’s get dinner out of the way.”

  “All right. But I need to powder my nose first. Don’t move.”

  A few minutes later, after powdering the sweat off her face and fixing what the batting helmet had done to her hair, she hurried back to where she’d left Walker. She wasn’t surprised to find that he’d wandered off. He’d done it every time she’d left him alone at the school library, too, always looking for someone to talk to or interact with. She strolled past the batting cages and over to the snack bar, but there was no sign of a big, sexy cowboy. The place wasn’t that crowded on such a cool, late-season night, and just as she’d decided he was in the men’s room, a wild burst of high-pitched laughter caught her attention. It sounded like the excited squeals of a pack of small animals. Charlie scanned the area until she sp
otted the source.

  On a wide expanse of grass that families used for picnics in the summer, a dozen kids were gathered in a densely packed group. In the middle of them, rising like Godzilla from the sea, was a roaring Walker.

  The kids screamed again as he grabbed one child and hefted her over his shoulder.

  “Me! Me!” Several of the others called, tugging at any part of his clothing they could reach. She noticed how frail some of the arms were, and that several of the laughing kids were in wheelchairs.

  He leaned down to place the girl safely on the ground, then reached toward a little boy sitting in what looked like a very rugged, high-tech wheelchair. Charlie watched him glance toward a man who stood at the edge of the group, and when the man nodded, Walker scooped up the boy.

  Another boy grabbed Walker’s hat and ran off with it, so he chased after the boy, roaring, while the child cradled in his arms shook with hysterical laughter.

  Charlie walked over to the man at the edge of the lawn. “Hi. I’m Charlie. Do you know Walker?”

  “Charlie,” the man said. “I’m John. A pleasure.” His hand rose as if he’d tip a hat he wasn’t wearing. He seemed to be close to forty, and he had the tan skin and lined eyes that told her he’d spent some time in the saddle. “Walker’s worked with my brother on and off over the years. He came over to say hello.”

  “Are you with the kids?”

  “Yep. It’s their last full day at the ranch, so we’re having a little party.”

  “The ranch?” she asked.

  “The Ability Ranch.”

  “The what?”

  He smiled. “We’ve got a ranch north of town that does equine therapy and lots of work with disabled and traumatized kids and adults. The kids come out and stay for a few weeks at a time.”

  “Oh!” Charlie shook her head. “I’ve never heard of it. I’ve only been back in town for a few weeks.”

  “It’s a pretty amazing place. And we always need volunteers.” He raised an eyebrow at Charlie.

  “Oh, no,” she said, then realized how panicked she sounded. “I mean, I don’t know anything about kids. Or horses. You should talk to Walker.”

  “I have. He’s not interested.”

  “What?” she gasped, looking back to Walker as he chased the kids with another child slung over his shoulder.

  “I know. He should think about it. Hell, he should think about working there. He’s really amazing with the kids. Lots of people feel nervous around children with obvious disabilities.”

  Charlie nodded, but she kept her eyes on Walker. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him among all those tiny bodies. He didn’t seem intimidated by them. Strangely, he fit right in. “What kind of jobs do you have there?”

  “Well, hell. All kinds. But we’re almost always short an instructor or two.”

  Her mind spun. Her pulse picked up. He could be good at this. He already was.

  Walker was lowering a boy carefully back into his chair; then he scooped up another kid before he’d even straightened. As he stood, the next shrieking kid balanced on his shoulder, Walker’s eyes swept up to meet Charlie’s gaze. He smiled right at her before swinging the boy around in a big circle.

  “Damn you, Walker,” she whispered, feeling her heart start to melt all over her guts. It was going to make a terrible mess in there. Everything was already starting to ache. “Shit.” This was going to be bad.

  * * *

  “CAN YOU REALLY eat all that?” Walker asked in admiration as Charlie rubbed her hands together over the giant barbecue platter that had just been placed in front of her.

  “Let’s find out,” she answered, starting on a piece of brisket.

  “You’re an amazing woman,” he said, meaning it. He didn’t know any other woman who’d order a gigantic platter of ribs and barbecue on a first date. Or any date, but Charlie hadn’t even hesitated when she’d ordered.

  She finished the first chunk of brisket, then reached for her margarita. Walker set into his own ribs.

  “God, this is great,” she groaned. “You can’t get barbecue like this in Tahoe.”

  “No? I bet life is a little wilder there than in Jackson, though.”

  She froze for a moment, her eyes meeting his, but then she smiled. “Not all that wild. It was pretty quiet.”

  “You don’t seem like the quiet type, Charlie. Not anymore. I bet you found trouble when you wanted it.”

  She coughed and reached for her margarita. “Not really. So you’ve eaten here before?”

  He almost pressed her, wanting to tease her about this new fun Charlie he liked so much, but he let it go. “Yeah, I’ve been damn happy since this place opened last year. For a few weeks, the other hands and I would sneak away every Monday night for the all-you-can-eat special.”

  “Oh, man. I bet they cringed when they saw a herd of cowboys coming in.”

  “A herd?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. What’s the correct term? A gaggle? A pack? A cuddle? A spur of cowboys?”

  “Probably a posse.”

  Charlie laughed as she dug into her ribs. “Do you miss your friends there?”

  “Sure. Like I said, I got used to being around people all the time. There are some good guys out there.”

  “Yeah... You know I’ve been thinking about something tonight.”

  “Oh? Does it have anything to do with the kind of stuff teenage boys like? Because I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ve got to tell you that grown men are okay with it, too.”

  She laughed and pressed a sauce-covered hand over her mouth.

  “I could tolerate it, at least. I mean, I’d like to try.” He liked making her laugh, especially when her face was smudged with barbecue sauce and her eyes were so bright, and he could still feel the way her body had tightened around him when he’d fucked her.

  She shook her head, eyes still twinkling. “No, I wasn’t talking about that. Though I’ll take your comments under advisement.”

  “Please do.”

  She grabbed a napkin and wiped the worst of the sauce off her face. “What I was thinking was... Tonight. Those kids you were playing with...”

  “John’s kids?”

  “Yes.” Charlie put her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “You’re amazing with people, Walker. You were amazing with those kids.”

  “Only if you consider giving a few kids a piggyback ride something spectacular.”

  “It’s not just that. You’re just so easy. With everyone. And those kids...they loved you and they’d only known you for five seconds.”

  Walker cleared his throat and grabbed his beer to drown out the strange mix of pride and embarrassment flooding through him. “Thanks,” he said once he’d gotten some beer down his dry throat. “I like kids.”

  “I talked to John a little bit, and I was thinking that you should consider applying there.”

  Walker shook his head. “I don’t know what you mean. They don’t own cattle, do they?”

  “No. I meant that you could work with the kids. Teaching them about horses and how to ride. You’d be around people every day, doing exactly what you like to do.”

  For a moment, he was still blessedly confused, and then the humiliation of what Charlie was saying slammed into him, full force. “You want me to be a teacher? Charlie, I can’t do that.”

  “Sure you can!”

  “No. I can’t.” He tore half the meat off a rib and ducked his head to stare at his plate while he chewed.

  “You wouldn’t be a teacher, per se,” she pressed.

  The back of his neck burned.

  “When you were at the guest ranch, you taught people how to ride, didn’t you? You gave lessons?”

  Walker swallowed and reached for a drink. After scrubbing the napkin over his mouth, he felt calm enough to speak. “No. I wasn’t a riding instructor.”

  “Well, what did you do? You taught them something.”

  “I put on a little performance every day, showing them h
ow to throw a lasso, how to rope a calf. And then I’d lead them on trail rides. Teach them how to groom a horse. Sometimes we’d brand cattle.”

  “See? You’ve already taught people!”

  Jesus, she looked so happy. As if she really believed he was capable of this. She didn’t understand. She never had understood. At least his dad had named it for what it was.

  “Charlie. It was a show. We helped people play at being cowhands for an hour or two a day. And then we’d go out and do the real work before coming back to serve them dinner around the campfire. I’m not a teacher. I’m not qualified and I never will be.”

  “But you’re good with horses,” she pressed. She kept eating her dinner as if nothing important was happening. “And you’re good with people. It’d be perfect for you.”

  Walker’s heart beat hard. He didn’t want to have to explain out loud that he was dumb, that no one would ever want him working with their children, that no one would ever even think about hiring him for such a thing.

  Sure. Hire a dumb cowboy who could barely read to be a teacher. Perfect. He couldn’t even teach himself anything.

  “I’m good with horses, yes,” he said flatly. “And cows. And other hoofed animals. I am not capable of being a professional teacher or working with people’s kids.”

  “But—”

  “I’m a cowboy,” he snapped.

  “Yes, but that’s not all you have to be.” She reached for his hand. “You could be so much more than that.”

  Before her fingers could slip through his, he drew his hand back, feeling as if he were coming out of his skin. He wanted to get up and pace away. Go outside and let the wind cool him down until he wasn’t pissed and embarrassed anymore. “If me being a cowboy isn’t good enough for you, then say it flat out, Charlie.”

  “What?”

  “Every time we see each other, you tell me I could be something more. Maybe I could. I seriously doubt it, but maybe I could. But that’s not the point. I am not something more. If you don’t like it—”

  “Of course I like it!”

  “It’s getting hard to tell, honestly. I’m a cowboy. That’s what I do. It doesn’t pay well and it’s not glamorous, and I go out and get rough and dirty and tired and hurt, but I’m damn good at it. I don’t read. I don’t analyze. I don’t improve the world or build new technology or contribute ideas. I’m sorry if that’s too little for you to accept.”